I liked the idea a retelling of Cleopatra and Julius Cesar set up in a futuristic world but I feel that while other might love the execution I just think this one is not for me.

I want to thank NetGalley for an arc in exchange of my honest review.

This book has a lot of promise. The opening few sentences really grasped my attention, and the worldbuilding had so much potential throughout. I loved the idea of this magnificent space opera that stretches across a broad political landscape.

I enjoyed certain elements of this one, but at times, I have to admit I was really confused. I do expect to do some work with sci fi worldbuilding, but the way this was written, in combination with some of the narrative choices regarding structure and time jumps had me a little confused.

This one is something special! Fans of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar get to see their lives play out in grand scale in this stunning sci-fi romp! Even if you’re not familiar with the historical facts & supposition, this story makes for a fun, tense and exciting read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this eARC!

had the distinct privilege of coming into this with exactly the right amount of familiarity with cleopatra caesar antony et al which is to say i was briefly, fervently interested when i was nine, u know, when ur nine, and ur discovering the full spectrum of how deranged and scary and magnificent people can be, ur reading HORRIBLE HISTORY or ASSASSINATIONS! (FOR KIDS), and ur like, "oh my god mom listen to this, this pirate used to MAKE PEOPLE EAT THEIR OWN BUTTS" and she's like "did i buy you that??"

there's an enormous and mystifying gulf, when ur nine, between yourself and all the impossibly real people you read about-- your contexts and drives are so different, you can't imagine why or how someone would ever do the things they are doing, but they did; they are infinitely more fantastic and fake than the child heroes in the fiction you're simultaneously reading. those children have passions and minds like urs; mark antony is out here like, i dont even know what he's doing.

so i read a lot of gory roman history, blinking and gasping, saying aloud, "personally i would simply NOT cross the rubicon," and i did not understand why literally anyone would ever do the stupid things these people did, and then i did not think abt them very much at all until i read this book.

listen. i do love retellings. like, there are so many lazy ones, but who among us does not have those handful of stories that will YANK them in id-first every time. and a good retelling has a particularly magical blend of coziness and uncanniness-- going back through a house you have lived in for years made up differently, in ruins or in twilight or in the bleeding sun, and delighting in the familiar made strange-- different notes pulled out, different lighting-- but still familiar, still yours.

the stars undying is an entirely different beast and it ate me. there's some sort of insane alchemy that happens here, and reading it felt like i was hearing this story for the first time.

there is a bit early on where someone describes prophecy as an act of translation, and the book is an impeccable act of translation as well-- carrying over lost political and personal resonances into a new language, finding the entry points for us, now, to understand something impossible, and gone, and shattering those doorways open, so that we are shocked (SHOCKED!) all over at what we already knew happened. like, i have not felt this clobbered by plot twists in my LIFE, and i grew up knowing these plot twists! i took exams on them!!!

frankly i was GASLIT (positive, narrative technique) into like, living out the song "pina colada" but with cleopatra. "oh my god," i would gasp, a split second after this cleopatra revealed she did something that has sung through culture my whole life. "she did that! wait-- i knew she did that!" (that's half the time-- the other half ur hearing someone mention, offhand, a carpet delivery and getting fucking CRANKED into delirious anticipation. there's a singular pleasure in reading something and coming to trust in its execution-- realizing that the jumps will be spectacular and the landings will stick. ur safe to get hype. u will get the payoff.)

anyway, what has changed, obviously, from when i learned this story and i was nine, is that the people feel real now. there is simply not another way to put it. reading this was like watching a human actor walk across a stage before the lowlights of legend, their shadows splashed up enormous behind them and like-- you can see them both at the same time, the person and the mythology, the stain they will make, that you grew up in without connecting it to any particular beating heart.

lots of other things too, insanely horny very funny smarter than any of us, conversations that demand u reread them to catch up to the politicking hidden inside the flirting, the fury, the oversized pink feather coats; a book that will make u think u understand imperial economics somewhat; a book that will bring back ur infantile fury at amy burning jo's manuscript that u thought u outgrew and didn't; a book that will remind u with the slow burn of an eclipse what the real romance is, what romance bludgeoned shakespeare and all the poets to death, and how it's gay, actually, how love spawns in the cracking-open of being truly seen, which is, actually, a fucking threat. like, u know the whole time, and still as it's happening, u think oh my god!!!!!! it's happening!!!!!!!!!

similarly, a narrator who tells u the entire time that she is lying to u and u still find urself gasping at least four separate times like WHAT?!?!? she was LYING TO ME!!! ME!!!!!! [touching my chest] her READER!

[-- the last reveal, of to whom, exactly, she is finally telling one truth--]

the last thing i will say is that the very last scene is the only thing i have read since the queen of attolia that blooms in me, trembling, the same feeling as the queen of attolia-- the light, precise dialogue, the held-breath revelation, of two people who have been knives at each other's throats regarding each other now across a quiet space and doing something new

This was one of my favorite reads of the year. Truthfully, I don’t know much about Cleopatra and Julius Caesar so I kind of went into this blind. Regardless of my lack of historical knowledge, this is an exceptional sci-fi with the perfect amount of political intrigue, intricate world building, and character development, (also some romance). I loved everything about this book and was hooked from the beginning. I actually liked this so much I got the audio book and listened to it after reading it and I liked it just as much as an audio book. I think everyone should read this.

DNF at 60%.

I'll start with the fact that I really like Altagracia, our main character. I love her entitlement to what she believes she is due and her tense relationship with her twin sister. I would have loved to see the latter explored more. Ceiran was an interesting morally grey and self-serving character. I feel like I might have enjoyed him even more if the author had further explored his personality. Instead, I feel like we were only acquainted with the political ally that Gracia knew him as, rather than as a well-rounded, believable character.

I wanted to love this. So much of it, however, reads like a textbook on the politics of Egypt and the Roman Empire, but transposed onto planets in space. There were many moments, despite my enjoying the world and culture that was being described, I was left wondering where the plot was going or what the point of the exposition was.

I'm disappointed to not finish this, but sadly I don't think the last third will change my experience of this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review.

"An ambitious and sweeping debut, The Stars Undying shimmers with that transformative potential." Full review published in the "Chicago Review of Books," linked.

This was a did-not-finish for me. The concept, a scifi re-imagining of the Ceasar/Cleopatra/Mark Antony story, was compelling, but the story itself dragged. I was less than interested in reading a hundred pages where two powerful people just floated along the water while the action took place elsewhere.

A DNF for now at 16%

I was so excited for this book, but it just really isn't working for me. I tried it on audio, which did not work at all for me. I didn't care for the narrators, and the names and terms were all very similar, so the audiobook was really difficult. I switched to the print edition and made it about another 10%. It just is not working for me right now though. It feels very dense and just a little bit too literary for my tastes, especially right now for where my head is at. I have seen some reviews that really appreciate this book for it's politics and it's commentary on history. I definitely want to try this book again when I'm in a better headspace, but it probably won't be for a little while.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Orbit, and Angela Man for an advance copy of The Stars Undying in return for an honest review. This released on November 8, 2022.

Ok so this book!! You can definitely see the inspiration of Cleopatra and Julius Ceasar here. In the complex world-building elements, in the politics, in their relationship. I'm still thinking about this book (dwelling on it, a little) and I'm definitely very interested to see how this series continues. I think if you're interested in reading a story of empire and rebellion inspired by C+C but in a sci-fi setting, this should really be one you pick up. However, if you know how that story goes, then you know this one won't be immune to its own tragedies... so go into it forewarned!
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 62%

I am very fond of the story of Cleopatra / Julius Caesar / Marc Antony (I have a distinct memory of doing a translation for Latin class in high school where the translation for “to be rolled up in a carpet” was provided for me) but I feel like this book zooms through the interesting parts (the entire civil war is told in a kind of aside where our Cleopatra character just says “oh I lied it was a bit more gruesome than all that” and then we’re back to seducing Caesar) and then draaaaags out all the boring, petty, interpersonal drama/politics.

I was itching for the epic love story and sapphics in space but honestly didn’t even make it that far. Which is a crying shame because this story could have been so very good.

This book feels out of my depths of knowledge in a good way. The writing style feels very sophisticated and the plot was hard to follow. I like that the chapters alternate between characters to give multiple perspectives. It’s in the Science Fiction genre. I would not read this again, however, if Science Fiction is your jam or your favorite genre then this book is for you.

I will start this review by saying I am newer to more epic fantasy. While reading this I found it difficult to keep straight all the different worlds, countries, and governments. But I do think that was because of me as a reader, and not a fault of the book. I would just recommend this to more advance fantasy readers.

Overall I liked the story, but it wasn’t a favorite for me personally. But I do think a lot of people will really enjoy this, I would have liked to see the relationship between Gracia and Ceirran develop, and the pacing felt off to me sometimes. But I did love the political aspect of this book.

I do recommend giving it a try!

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an ebook in exchange for review.

The Stars Undying is everything that I have ever wanted in a SciFi book. Full of political scheming, war strategy, and powerful characters The Stars Undying is impossible to put down.

With a first line that is the longest sentence I have ever read, Emery Robin throws the reader into the deep end. The story begins in the middle of a revolution immersing the reader immediately. It is a bit of a daunting first few chapters, especially if you are not familiar with political SciFi or fantasy. (Orbit I am begging you to add a glossary to this book. There are too many C- names and different planets for there not to be one.) However, the characters are so fascinating that you will want to push through your confusion in order to uncover their secrets. Despite being a dense and complex book I could not stop reading. The story steadily expands from a battle between sisters to a conflict that shakes the empire.

Gracia is one of my new favorite characters. I love an unreliable narrator and her chapters were so engaging. She is badass and unapologetically clever and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. As much as I knew I shouldn't, I loved Ceirran. You know the author is talented when they make you care about a dictator based on Julius Caesar. I need the next book to have Ana's point of view. Though she takes more of a back seat in this book, she is such a raw and powerful character that she is destined to become another favorite.

The writing is beautiful. Emery Robin crafts such enchanting descriptions of the world and the characters. There are incredible conversations about power, religion, and justice that echo issues in the real world. Gracia and Ceirran have incredible dialogue. Their feelings for each other conflict with their personal ambitions and need to be the smartest person in the room. This creates conversations of sexual tension, double meaning, and heartbreak.

Emery Robin transforms actual historical events into a uniquely powerful story. I had only a vague memory of the historical events or the Shakespeare play going into this. It was nice to see the similarities but I didn't want to spend the entire time comparing the book to the inspiration. That being said, there was a moment that was such a beautiful parallel to a scene in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare that I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

As I was reading I thought I had critiques. There were a few choices with the writing that threw me off. Not enough to stop me from enjoying it, but they were definitely strange. And then I got to the final chapter and I realized that every single strange writing choice was intentional. I firmly believe that multi-POV books should not be written in first person POV. But even that choice contributes to the overall story. So consider The Stars Undying an exception to the rule. So many moments came full circle with repeated lines that had me gasping as I realized what was happening. I am a huge fan of books that have a unique narrative style. Harrow the Ninth and the Fifth Season are some of my favorite books because of the way that they are told. The subtle choices Emery Robin made had me racing through the pages to find the answers to the strange, unsettled feeling I had.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of A Memory Called Empire and She Who Became the Sun. As a space opera, this will appeal to people who are already well versed in the adult high fantasy genre who are looking to read more SciFi.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel. It is genuinely one of the best books I have ever read.

This review was so difficult to write because I don't know how to properly convey how much I loved this book. The Stars Undying blew me away. It is a new favorite and I cannot wait to read the next book!

The Stars Undying is a chunky SF about empires, bargains, and alliances. It's about the power which can save us, which elevate us, and which cause our downfall. Told in dual POV, The Stars Undying truly allows us to sink into both Ceirran and Altagracia. It's one of the strongest pieces of this book because while there's tons of action, adventure, and scheming, what kept me reading were the characters. I became entranced by Altagracia's quest for power and the interaction with the colonial powers. I definitely liked her better than Ceirran, but mostly because it was harder for me to truly see through his eyes.

To see the risks, dangers, and stakes. Not to mention, I always love an underdog and as she has to fight back for her power, Altagracia was an instant favorite. There are some parts of this epic SF that feel a bit slower than others, which can make reading a slower experience. So I had to adjust my expectations since this book seems to be like half characters half scheming. Another element I enjoyed was how Robin explores who has the right to rule.

The Stars Undying is a science-fiction retelling of the lives of Caesar and Cleopatra, translating events and figures of Roman, Egyptian, and Greek history into an interplanetary setting. The plot follows our main characters, Ceirran and Gracia, as they navigate a love affair while both struggling to regain control over their respective empires after a series of civil wars.

The book's version of the antiquity Mediterranean involves Gracia's home Szayet, a kingdom almost entirely submerged in the sea that worships the conqueror Alekso (Alexander the Great) as an immortal god. On Szayet, Gracia's lineage rules the planet with the aid of a supercomputer contained in a pearl that allows her to access an AI-replication of Alekso's consciousness. Ceirran's planet, Ceian, is a fervently anti-religious republic that acts as the cultural center of the near universe, with more and more planets being absorbed by Ceirran and his army as vassal states.

The prose and dialogue are largely written quite well, but I found much of the plot to be slow, uninteresting, and aimless. At times, the characters come off well-developed and interesting, but at others it feels as though they don't have much of a voice. The chapters go back and forth between Ceirran and Gracia and I often found it very difficult to remember who was narrating. As they spend much of the book together, their voices blend together and it becomes largely irrelevant who's perspective is being written. The best personalities come from the more unique side characters, particularly Ceirran's lieutenant Ana, based on Mark Antony.

I also found the setting to be a bit off-putting, but that may be because of personal preferences. Despite being set in a world with interstellar travel and supercomputers, the culture is still that of ancient Rome. I don't feel that I can suspend my disbelief that a culture could develop these technologies but otherwise bear no resemblance at all to a technologically advanced culture. Further, it's very confusing exactly how much technology these planets possess. At times it seems that other than space ships, computers and holograms, they have no technology at all. Gracia mentions processes involving advanced physics, but at the same time it's never made clear if they even have electricity. It's implied that their computers are based on the modification of pearls with pre-existing computing capabilities. All in all I found this very hard to wrap my head around.

The book is fine, and it's written with some skill, but it's not for me; and certainly could use some more purpose and direction.

The Stars Undying is a retelling of Cleopatra and Caesar, but it is so much more than that. The story takes place in space, where tech and religion war. Gracia (Cleopatra) is violently ousted from the throne by her twin sister and forced to ask Ceirran (Caesar) for help. Along with his intrepid captain Anita (Anthony), Gracia and Ceirran embark on an epic journey to reclaim the throne for Gracia. More than the throne, they must recover the Pearl of the Dead, a computer that holds the soul of Gracia’s god: Alekso. Loyalties will be tested and betrayal is inevitable as they seek to discover what it means to be a queen and a god.

This book has it all- romance, politics, action-packed battles, and reflections on what it means to be queen. Emery Robin writes such a creative and compelling take on Cleopatra in space. I couldn’t put it down! Gracia and Ceirran both prove to be slightly unreliable narrators and I was spellbound as the truth behind their story unravels. I loved Anita! Her scenes with Gracia were some of my favorites in the book. Emery Robin handles the dual narrator structure of the book so well and has excellent pacing. I would recommend this for fans of queer historical retellings who enjoy sci-fi/space operas. I hope that we get more books in this series! Thank you so much to Emery Robin, Orbit, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Altagracia and Matheus must navigate the politics of an interstellar empire and their budding romance, and every action causes ripples of unknown import. This retelling of Cleopatra and Caesar sets the ancient story against a space opera backdrop.

I’m not super familiar with Cleopatra’s life, so I can’t comment as to how accurately it’s been translated in The Stars Undying. Vague memories of having read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra in high school gave me a sense of where the story was going, but I think it might work better if you have an understanding of the actual history and can appreciate how various characters map to their counterparts (on the other hand, the unpredictably gained from having no knowledge might let you appreciate the book on its own terms). There’s a question for SF&F fans to discuss outside this book about whether medieval or older monarchies and empires are “realistic” in far-future sci-fi, but since the premise of Stars Undying is “Caesar and Cleopatra in space” I just sat back and enjoyed the odd juxtapositions this created rather than counting it as a mark against the book.

I loved the queer representation in this book – Caesar is bi/pan (no label is used, but he’s had relationship with/expresses interest in people of all genders), and prominent characters represent same-sex relationships, asexuality, and non-binary genders. None of it is presented as remarkable or needing explanation, which I appreciate.

One thing that didn’t work for me was an unreliable narrator that only came up a few times. It doesn’t seem to be that a character is consistently unreliable; rather, at three or four points the viewpoint character will say, “by the way, I lied about something earlier, here’s what really happened.” I’m not sure what’s gained by this… but it’s more of a “your mileage may vary” than “this is clearly good or bad” narrative choice.

Two other notes for potential readers. First, as this is the story of Cleopatra and Caesar’s romantic and sexual relationship, there are several sex scenes on the page. The description goes further than fade to black without becoming fully erotica; nothing wrong with that in my book but be aware if that bothers you. Second, there are many supporting characters with similar names – I’d recommend either reading this as an ebook to take advantage of the search function or taking notes as you go.

If you’re a fan of retellings of historical events and/or Shakespeare (again, I’m not sure which this hews more closely to), this is a fun read and worth checking out.

The Stars Undying is available for purchase and might be held by your local library. You can find it in print and support a local bookstore via IndieBound, or as an ebook at Kobo (or presumably most other ebook distributors).

Thank you (a BIG thank you) to NetGalley, to Orbit, and to Emery Robin, for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I, unlike Altagracia, will not lie to you: this book HAD me, I mean, I was hooked completely, when I read "for fans of Leckie's Ancillary Justice." Oh really? I thought to myself, and hovered my mouse over "REQUEST." Then I read the blurb. Surely, I thought, surely this isn't a CLEOPATRA retelling? In SPACE? I clicked REQUEST so fast my left pointer finger practically got a cramp. I was a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge (read: nerdiest nerd Queen of all the nerds) Ancient Egypt nerd, and I must have read every. single. book. my little library had about Ancient Egypt, and once I read all those, I read all the Cleopatra books too. I mean. Was Princess Arsinoe an evil brat? Or was Berenice the autocratic, harsh older sister? Or were they all just schemers and Cleopatra whether through merit or luck happened to win out? I always felt, I guess, that Cleopatra was probably just a really really REALLY good planner (how about this: despite all the unrest in the area, she ruled for two decades) who got a super bad rep from some sour-grapes Romans. Winners tell history, and Cleopatra - though she dodged Octavian's plans for her, in the end - didn't exactly win. Winners tell history, and winners are almost always... men. So. I guess it's unsurprising that an "enemy" woman doesn't get a warm fuzzy story told about her, right?

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Pull up a chair. Altagracia is here to tell you some things. She'll tell you herself that many of them are lies, and you'll read this and nod your head and STILL be surprised. Ceirran remarks that what drew him to her was the magnetism of her gaze; the fact that you can't bear to be anything less than the entire subject of Gracia's regard. As a reader, her magnetism is just as strong. You can't help but be pulled into her orbit like yet another pearl, captive to whatever she wants you to hear, to think, to feel. Ceirran has his own sharp, honest magnetism, as does Ana/Anita (/Antony) but, as in real live history, it's Gracia (Cleopatra) I was irresistibly drawn back to, every time.

I was completely astonished that this is a debut. Completely. The subtlety of the writing, and intensity of the characters, just: wow. This is a stunning book. Many other reviewers have mentioned the last line and I will say this in agreement: nothing will keep me from book 2. Nothing, perhaps, save the horde of other hopeful readers who will likely fight me for the privilege of getting their hands on it first. Kudos to Robin; this is probably the best debut I have ever read, and one of the best books I have read this year.

I’ve never read a book quite like The Stars Undying, an epic space opera based off Cleopatra and Julius Caesar (swipe for synopsis), admittedly, my first of this genre.

Points of view switched between Gracia (Cleopatra) and Ceirran (Caesar) and focused on their progressing relationship coming secondary to the complexities, politics, and responsibilities of running and maintaining an empire. I sometimes wished the plot focused more on their relationship as these parts of the story were some of the most interesting.

It definitely took me a while to fall in step with Robin’s writing style and feel committed to the world built. It took me time to familiarize myself with the different factions, alliances, and planets. While some of the writing was quite spectacular, I’d frequently find myself jarred out of the story attempting to figure out who someone was or what they were referring to.

We all know what happened in history (if you paid attention in school… I apparently did not retain much of my 7th grade history class and went down the Google hole to fill my lacking knowledge 🤣), and there is definitely tragic Shakespearean vibes. Low key kinda loved it.

I also loved all the casually represented full rainbow spectrum of Lgbtq characters — of those characters, Anita was my favorite… think a swag cross between Michelle Rodriguez in The Fast and the Furious and Han Solo. 😆

What didn’t work for me? Pacing was too slow, I wanted more consistent character tension. I may be in the minority but I didn’t love the unreliable narrator asides on top of the authors complex writing style, it pulled me out of the story each time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Regardless of my gripes, I think some will fully enjoy the complexities of this book and the history it’s based on. Read this book if you would like an ambitious epic science fiction reimagining of Cleopatra/Caesar.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.